THE 77 year old Co Wicklow farmer shot in the leg by an armed raider in one of two raids on elderly people in isolated farms at the weekend is recovering in hospital.
Gardai are also investigating another armed raid at the weekend on the Westmeath home of an elderly woman and her brother.
The 68 year old woman was punched in the face by masked men who forced their way into the house at Monksland, outside Athlone.
The Co Wicklow farmer, Mr Andy Kingston, his 79 year old brother Tom and a neighbour were held at gunpoint on Saturday evening by two raiders who are believed to have robbed the brothers of their life savings in a previous raid last week.
The raiders forced their way into the Kingston farmhouse at Kilballyowen, near Aughrim, at to p.m.
They threatened the men while keeping them at gunpoint and ransacked the house before stealing £4.
When they could find no more money they shot Mr Kingston in the knee with a shotgun.
Mr Kingston was treated by a local doctor before being brought to Loughlinstown Hospital. He was later transferred to St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin, where he underwent surgery yesterday.
The hospital said last evening Mr Kingston had a comfortable day. It was not clear how the injury would affect his ability to walk.
It is believed the same two raiders broke into the Kingston home last Tuesday and, after threatening the brothers, located their cash savings, believed to be about £12,000, in biscuit tins in the attic.
The two men were badly distressed by the first raid and were being consoled by a neighbour on Saturday evening when the second raid occurred.
Gardai said the gunmen wore balaclavas, and there were few distinguishing characteristics. One was about 6 ft and the other about 5 ft 9in and both had strong Dublin accents.
After the shooting they ran off across fields.
Local gardai said the raid had a traumatic effect on the two elderly men and that a major investigation has been set up by detectives.
The Co Westmeath woman and her 81 year old brother were subjected to a 90 minute ordeal by their attackers.
Four masked men kicked in the front door of their bungalow at 2.30 a.m. on Saturday.
After punching the woman in the face the raiders tied her and her brother up and repeatedly threatened them before they revealed the whereabouts of their savings.
Gardai said the raiders left at about 4 a.m. taking a "substantial" amount of money with them.
The woman freed herself at 10 a.m., untied her brother and called a neighbour who contacted the gardai.
A series of raids has taken place on isolated homes in the countryside surrounding Dublin in recent years, and a number of people has been threatened with guns in Wicklow.
The raids on isolated farms in the west and south, which attracted considerable public attention at the start of the year, are said by gardai to have declined in number following a series of arrests.